In connection with the usual shipment of various articles through postal and related delivery services, it is common to provide shipping statements, packing slips, product order information, delivery information, and like documentation in envelopes configured for securement to the exterior of an associated shipping carton or other container.
The widespread popularity of the Internet-based sale of goods has resulted in millions of individual packages being sent each day to homes in America. Companies such as Amazon, Wayfair, Houzz, Hayneedle, etc., typically require that a packing list for a shipment not only be provided on the outside of the shipping carton, but additionally require that the company name is visible as well.
Heretofore, this has typically required custom, hand-folding of literally thousands of 8.5 by 11 inch packing lists on a regular basis, followed by hand-loading of the packing lists into currently available packing list envelopes. These envelopes, as typified by a Uline S-207 envelope, have a pouch-like configuration, including a transparent front panel, such as acetate, secured by heat-sealing at all margins thereof to a rear panel having pressure-sensitive adhesive, covered by a release layer.
A slit is provided in the rear panel which requires manual end-loading of a packing slip by manipulation of the packing slip through the slit in the rear panel, before the release layer is removed to expose the adhesive. This typical arrangement requires tri-folding and cross folds of each packing slip. The pouch-like envelopes must be sized to meet the requirements of shippers, including specific requirements regarding visibility of the business entity, shipment information, and the like, from the exterior of the envelope.
Experience has shown that many individual shippers have developed their own specific requirements regarding display of their name and shipment information, but typically the shipping statements themselves are similarly sized. While there are certain envelopes that are configured for top-loading, as opposed to side-loading, shipping statements must still be displayed in accordance with the shipper's requirements, with manual folding and insertion of the documents remaining cumbersome and time-consuming. There are top-load packing list envelopes on the market that are appropriately sized to receive tri-folded documents, with the company name being visible as required, but folding and inserting shipping statements into such envelopes is still a tedious and time-consuming task, and an improved arrangement would be desirable.
There are folding and stuffing machines currently on the market that will, for example, tri-fold an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper, and merge it with a standard business envelope by automatically stuffing it inside. However, these types of machines, such as Neopost's Model DS-35, are not capable of handling the typical packing slip envelopes that are currently in widespread use.
The present invention is directed to an improved shipping statement envelope, and a method of use, which facilitates convenient and efficient securement of shipping documentation to the exterior of an associated package by permitting use of automated folding and stuffing machinery for inserting shipping documentation into the envelope.